Extensive hydrothermal rock alteration in a low pH, steam-heated environment: Hot Springs Basin, Yellowstone National Park
We present water chemistry data for hot bubbling pools in Hot Springs Basin (HSB), one of the most thermally active basins in Yellowstone National Park, as well as chemistry and water discharge data for Shallow Creek, which drains HSB. The waters are characterized by a low pH and high sulfate and low chloride concentrations. In the bubbling pools, the molar ratios of Na/K and Mg/Ca are＜1, but in Shallow Creek Na/K is ＞ 1, suggesting widespread deposition of alunite. Equilibrium calculations with SOLMINEQ88 indicate that the bubbling pools are undersaturated with respect to primary igneous minerals, supersaturated with respect to alunite, and near saturation with amorphous silica. Two of the pools are also supersaturated with kaolinite, and one is supersaturated with gibbsite and smectite. Based on the mass flux in Shallow Creek and the composition of Lava Creek tuff, we calculate a minimum erosion rate of 0.5 mm/yr in HSB, which is 1-2 orders of magnitude lower than deformation rates measured with geodetic techniques.
S.Hurwitz W.C.Evans J.B.Lowenstern D.Bergfeld C.Werner H.Heasler C.Jaworowski
US Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California US Geological Survey, Vancouver, Washington Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, Mammoth, WY
国际会议
第十二届水-岩相互作用国际研讨会(P0roceedings of the 12th International Symposium on Water-Rock Interaction)
昆明
英文
81-85
2007-07-31（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）